Waiting
by fairytalelights
Summary: She's the only thing that makes him smile. He's the best thing that's ever happened to her.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! First time I'm ever doing a Disney fanfic, so please be kind!**

**And I'm really sorry to my other non-Disney fans...I _will_ update my Hobbit and LOTR fanfics! Once I, uh, actually get some inspiration for them haha. I promise!**

* * *

><p>"Hey! Leave her alone, you losers!"<p>

"Get lost, Hawkins." Mo loomed over the preteen, a mass of tentacles and slime. "This ain't your business."

"Yeah, well, I'm making it my business."

"What, you think you can take on all of us?" Ruff, spindly and one-eyed, hopped up next to Mo, glaring at Jim.

"You wanna try me? Cos I'm telling you, I can take all five of you and still – "

"Ah, leave it, guys." Damien appeared behind them, stepping back from the girl huddled on the ground, and Jim felt his heart pound furiously at the sight of her so motionless. "We're done here, anyway. She's learnt her lesson. Come on."

With a scornful, scathing look at Jim, he waved for the others to follow him as they headed down the street, leaving the girl on the ground and the brown-haired boy.

Without another word Jim dived down in front of the girl: "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah. Just got trashed really bad." The girl's voice was faint, but she lifted her head slightly, pushing back her snowy-white hair to give Jim a weak smile. Her eyes shone emerald green, glittering in a copper-skinned face that was now covered in bruises.

"The assholes – they beat you up?" Jim could feel anger mounting up in him. He knew Damien's gang were a bunch of bullies, but to stoop _that_ low –

"Not exactly." The girl winced, rubbed at her arm where a large blue-back was forming. "More of getting into a fight. Apparently that guy with the, you know, the humanoid one with the green skin, he doesn't like being reminded of his apparent inability to take a shower."

"Well," Jim said, managing a smile, "Damien does stink."

"Yeah, he stinks real bad," the girl agreed, still rubbing at her arms.

"You wanna get up?"

"Yeah, man, thanks. That'd be great."

Slowly, carefully, Jim helped the girl stagger to her feet. She was scrawny, skinny, with her long white hair falling past her waist and over her plain shirt and pants.

"What's your name?" he asked her. "I'm Jim."

"Tara." She winced as she straightened up slowly.

"Where are you staying? I can help you get back."

"And here comes the hero to save the day," Tara said, dryly. "Nice change from those losers, though. Good to know not everyone from here is an asshole. I just arrived here with my dad a couple of days ago. Staying at Benbow Inn."

Jim blinked at her. "You're – you're staying at Benbow Inn?"

Well, to be fair, he hadn't been around the inn much lately. Most of his time had been spent on his solar surfer, and just _away_ from the damn place and everything that reminded him of his father.

"Yeah. Why?"

He smiled dryly. "My mum's the owner."

"Huh. Never seen you around before."

"Yeah, well, I don't help out much."

"Nice job, man," said the girl. "Mrs Hawkins looks like she's gonna drop from exhaustion."

"Yeah, well, I've got stuff to deal with."

"Fair enough." The girl shrugged, and winced again. Jim had to force himself not to flinch when he saw the bruises up on her arms, and on her face.

"Come on, let's go," he said, and slowly, painfully, they made their way up towards the inn.

* * *

><p>"<em>Tara<em>!"

"_Jim_!"

"Hi, Da," Tara said, grinning up at her father, rising from his table with a shocked face. "Before you jump to any conclusions, no, it wasn't him. I got into a fight with some guys down the street. Jim got them to get lost."

Sarah looked over at her son, who merely shrugged in response.

"Da, I'm serious," Tara said. "If it weren't for Jim, I'd probably still be there. Remind me never to take on five people again without some back-up."

Philip looked at his daughter for a long time, and then broke into a faint smile, shaking his head. "Your mother couldn't back down from a fight either," he said. "What am I going to _do _with you?"

"Must've inherited it from you too. Got twice the dose."

He laughed. "Maybe."

"I'm gonna go sleep it off, kay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Go ahead."

Tara grinned at her dad, and then her eyes flickered to Jim, who had remained silent the whole time since they had entered the inn. "And hey. Thanks, man."

He looked up at her, and a ghost of a smile flickered across his face.

"Yeah. No problem."

Sarah only blinked in surprise, her eyes darting from her son to the battered, beat-up girl now ascending the stairs.

* * *

><p>"Hi, Mr Larron – I know it's none of my business – " Sarah swallowed as she dropped into the seat by Philip. The inn was dark now, with most of the customers having gone home from the night, and Jim was – hopefully – in his room.<p>

Philip smiled at her. "What can I do for you, Mrs Hawkins?"

"I was just wondering – aren't you – " Sarah faltered, and then continued: "Aren't you mad at your daughter?"

"Ah. Are you thinking about your own son?" He sent her a knowing smile when her head shot up sharply. "I won't admit that I'm not angry at her. But she knows that she's always got me to turn to. She's never been the kind to back down from an insult – she's got a lot of pride. And to be honest, after today, I'm quite certain that she won't be running into a fight like that again."

"But she could've been hurt so badly!"

"Yes, she could have." Philip's face darkened slightly, before he dredged up a smile. "But you know, I learnt the hard way that once I tried to tell her off or anything similar, ten to one she'd be back the next day with more bruises or in even more trouble. So I'd rather just let her know that I'm here whenever she needs me, and let her settle and learn from her own mistakes. I've found it pays better than constant nagging and scolding."

Sarah didn't say anything, only nodded thoughtfully.

* * *

><p>TWO YEARS LATER<p>

"Jim, you _asshole_! Get BACK HERE!"

"Make me!"

Doppler winced at the sound of the enraged scream coming from somewhere outside the inn, and through the window he saw a laughing Jim jump onto the solar surfer and up into the air, a furious, copper-skinned girl with white hair yelling obscenities up at him.

"My," he said, "that's very strong language."

Sarah glanced out the window, and gave a small smile. "Yes, well, Tara's never been once to mince words."

"I've always wondered that Jim and her spend so much time together whenever she's in Montresor," said Doppler. "They always seem to be arguing whenever they meet."

Sarah laughed. "That's how their friendship works. It's always been that way since he first met her. The second day they knew each other, they were arguing on the best way to throw a punch, and then the merits of a solar surfer, and the ups and downs of running an inn, and _then_ they started arguing about the best way to make up a fire. It was ridiculous."

"He looks happy, though," Doppler commented. "He enjoys spending time with her, doesn't he?"

"Her visits are the only times that he's actually _not_ getting into trouble," said Sarah. "They're the only times that he actually smiles instead of scowling all the time."

The door to the inn burst open suddenly.

"Seriously, man? The earring?" Tara was saying, holding onto what looked like a thin, leather-bound book tightly, as if worried it would disappear.

"C'mon. It's cool."

"Urgh. It works, I guess. Just make sure you don't get infected or whatever."

"Hey, I think I know how to take care of myself – "

"Yeah, right, you can't even make sure that your shoes are on the right way half the time – "

They disappeared through the kitchen, still arguing animatedly, with Sarah letting out a chuckle.

"They're very close, for people who only see each other a few times a year," observed Doppler.

"Oh, she stayed for at least a month or two, when they first came. And then her father's work took off, and so they make an effort to come by Montresor every two or three months, at least." Sarah's smile faded slightly. "She's the first real friend he's really had since his father left. When she's around, it's like – it's like he's the same boy he was before."

Doppler put a hand on her shoulder, comfortingly. "It's not your fault, Sarah."

"I know." She managed a smile. "I guess I just wish that I could have that same effect on him, too."

* * *

><p>"I bet you're glad to be back in Montresor."<p>

"Aw, Da. Of course I am. Jim's my best friend."

"I can tell," Philip said, dryly. "You're happier here than anywhere else."

Tara shrugged. "I dunno. Am I?"

"He brings out the best in you," Philip commented. "Even though I don't really approve of the earring or the ponytail - "

"C'mon, I think they're kind of cool!"

"Of course you do."

"And besides, whether he's got an earring or not, he's still the same Jim."

"See what I mean? You seem to see the world so much more clearly when it involves him." Philip chuckled. "You're so much happier when you're with him."

Tara ran a hand through her hair uncomfortably. "He makes me laugh."

"He makes you _happy_," Philip corrected. "For two people who end up arguing all the time, you never seem to tire of each other."

"You know that's just how we communicate, Da."

"Oh, yes." Philip smiled faintly. "I know that very well."

* * *

><p>"See you next time, then."<p>

Tara smiled sadly at Jim, refusing to look up, scuffing his boots along the ground. "See you next time, man. Don't get into too much trouble, yeah?"

He looked up and managed a smile: "I'll try."

Tara bit her lip and glanced back at her father, patiently waiting by his ship; and then she turned to face Jim and flung her arms around him, before letting go quickly.

Both their faces turned slightly pink.

"These visits are the highlights of my year, you know," she said.

He grinned. "Yeah, they're mine too."

"Don't do anything stupid, okay, man?"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

He watched, silently, the smile slipping from his face, as she ran back to her father, back to the ship, and away from him.

* * *

><p><strong>Still considering if Tara should follow Jim on his trip to Treasure Planet haha. Not very original, but it might be fun to write! Reviews would be greatly appreciated (just saying)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

"Ya know, you shouldn't be giving your mam that much trouble."

Jim whipped around. "Tara!"

The familiar, green-eyed girl grinned at him from the kitchen doorway. "Hey, Hawkins."

"I didn't know you were coming!" he exclaimed, his hands immersed in soap.

"What, would you be a good boy if you'd known? It was a last minute decision. Da's trip to Moriss got delayed so we dropped by the area." Tara paused. "Actually, he dropped me off. Said he'd come get me in a couple of days. Sarah's already got me a room."

"That's fantastic!"

"Yeah, but now you don't have your solar surfer." Tara gave him a pointed look.

He groaned. "Seriously, Tara? I don't need a lecture now."

He turned back to the dirty dishes in the sink and resumed scrubbing. Tara let the kitchen door swing shut behind her, and through it she could hear Sarah talking to Doppler, and a couple of kids laughing loudly.

"Not trying to lecture you," she said. "C'mon, man. I've never given you a lecture in the past two years."

"Yeah, well, that's because we argue every time we see each other, and two years ago, Damien wasn't chasing after you either," Jim pointed out, his face darkening at the thought of the green-skinned boy and scrubbing the dishes with greater ferocity. "He keeps bugging and threatening me to let him know the next time you're in Montresor."

Tara made a face. "Don't see how that links, but don't remind me, man." She shuddered slightly, and Jim knew she could still remember getting into a fight with Damien and his cronies years ago – or at least, she _called_ it a fight. Jim called it getting beaten up with unfair odds.

"I still can remember the flowers he gave you," said Jim, and water splashed out of the sink as he rapidly scrubbed the dishes, scowling. That _stupid_, green-skinned asshole, who'd somehow managed to find some of the nicest flowers in the damn place, and had given it to Tara one of the last times she'd dropped by, with a song to go with it. "And his attempts to serenade you."

"Hey. C'mon, man. I think the guy just does it because I turn him down every time. I bet he's determined to make me say yes to going out with him at least once."

"Yeah, sure," Jim muttered. "Or maybe he just likes you a lot."

"Anyway," Tara said, "like I was saying. About your mum. I mean, all I'm saying is, don't give her too much trouble, yeah? She's nice. And it can't be easy, running this place."

"She's been coping."

"Coping? She looks like she's gonna drop on her feet, man."

"Whatever."

"Yeah, well." Tara shrugged. "You get what I'm saying, right? Think your mum might really like having you around a bit more. And I mean, for one thing, you're probably gonna kill yourself on that solar surfer of yours one day. Might as well not give her too much heartbreak while you're at it."

"Thanks, man. Really encouraging."

"Yeah, well, I try."

* * *

><p>"I don't know what to do," Jim said.<p>

"What are you talking about now?"

Jim sighed, leaned his head against the wall behind him. Through the window he could see his mother talking to Doppler; and on the other end of the window, her legs criss-crossed on the rooftop tiles, sat Tara, her white hair piled up into a high ponytail.

"Listen to her." Jim gestured through the glass. "I mean, I keep messing up, and she's got to deal with it."

"So stop messing up."

"It's not that simple."

"Yeah? Why not?"

Jim opened his mouth; and then shut it again.

"She's right, you know," said Tara. "Your mum. You're a freaking genius, if only you'd put your mind to it. Hell, you took apart an entire solar surfer and put it all back together just to show me how it worked. A solar surfer _you_ built. You help kids out when they're dealing with bullies or problems or whatever. You're a good guy, Hawkins. You're just choosing to mess up your life."

Jim sat in silence, looking out at the sky above him, steadfastly refusing to meet her gaze.

"You know," Tara said, after a long silence, "my dad didn't want me to come back here. Not after the last time we came."

Jim straightened up. "Why not?"

"You know he's never been particularly happy about the ponytail or the earring," she said. "And he thinks you bringing me on your solar surfer is dangerous. And, well, he heard about you getting into trouble all the time, and your parole, and everything. He thought it wasn't good for me to be spending so much time with you."

"Yeah, well, why're you here, then? Daddy's little girl, aren't you? The good kid? Always doing the right thing, the good thing, the proper thing? Never in the wrong?"

Jim couldn't help it – he could feel anger rising in him, rage and hurt and everything just spilling out and spilling over and drowning him.

Tara whipped her head around, her green eyes glaring into him, burning fire.

"You want me to leave, is that it, Hawkins?" she demanded. "Cos I can do that, if you want. But I care about you and your sorry ass, and I like being here at the Benbow Inn and talking to your mum, and I took a damn long time to convince my dad, so if you don't appreciate me being around, I can bloody well leave – "

"No," he said, instantly. "No. Don't. I'm just – I'm just mad. That's all."

"Yeah, well, watch your mouth, man," Tara muttered. "I'm your friend, you asshole. I'm not leaving that easily, just because my dad doesn't want me to be here. There's a reason I fought for him to let me come here, you know."

"It's just – I like your dad, you know."

"I know," she said, and she didn't say what else she knew – that it hurt him, the fact that her father didn't want her spending time with him. "I think he just thinks you're going through a phase, that's just worse than how you usually are. He just doesn't want me around while you're figuring out, you know, whatever you have to."

"You kidding me? Think I figure things out better with you around."

"Yeah, I think so too. Told my dad you wouldn't last three months without me."

"Oh, is that right?"

"Of course I'm right."

"Someone's got a high opinion of herself."

"Oh, like _you_ don't."

She turned to look at him again, this time smiling brilliantly, and he could see warmth and brightness in those green eyes of hers. And she – she could see shadows slowly fading from his eyes, could see them softening, relaxing slightly.

"I really missed you, you know," he said, softly, suddenly turning his head away, and the spell was broken.

"I missed you too."

"My mum likes it when you're around," said Jim. "She really looks forward to your visits, you know."

"Your mum's amazing," she said. "You're so lucky."

"Hey, you're lucky to have a dad like yours."

"Guess we both fit pretty okay, huh?" she smiles, and at his confused look, she continues, "We're like – you know, a jigsaw puzzle. Not perfect, and with pieces missing, but we still work okay. You know what the puzzle's gonna turn out as."

"Well," he said, "I think you make a pretty important piece in the puzzle."

"Is that flattery, Hawkins? Compliments? Didn't think you were the type."

"Nah. Just the honest truth."

And for some reason, some strange, bizarre reason, Tara could feel her heart starting to pound furiously.

"By the way," Jim said, after she didn't respond, "Thanks."

"For what?"

He shrugged. "You know. Everything. Just being there, I guess. Putting up with me. Arguing with your dad until you could come on this last minute visit. You've always been there for me, you know?"

"Not like I'm around a lot, physically."

"You're ruining the moment," he complained. "You know what I mean, right?"

"Yeah." She smiled. "Yeah, I do. And – you know. Thanks, too. You've always been there for me. Always."

Somehow, in the fading light, on either side of the window that looked down into the room where Sarah Hawkins and Delbert Doppler were talking, their hands found each other.

* * *

><p>"It's not safe, man."<p>

Tara peered at the smoking wreckage from over Jim's shoulder, the charred remains of the ship that had hurtled down into the Benbow Inn's dock.

"Never said it was. C'mon, Tara. Someone could be hurt!"

Tara bit her lip, but stood where she was, slightly behind Jim, as he hammered on the ship door: "Hey, mister? You all right?"

Tara let out a yelp as a hand slammed against the window in the door, and it burst open to reveal an old, bedraggled alien forcing himself out. Jim immediately pushed her behind him, watching the old alien warily.

"He's a-coming!" he gasped, his voice hoarse, as he coughed. "Those gears and gyros clickin' and whirrin'. Like the devil himself!"

"Uh, hit your head there pretty hard, didn't ya?" Jim asked, blinking at him.

Tara only watched in horrified fascination as the old alien began to croak at Jim, muttering.

"C'mon," Jim said, turning to her as he helped to hoist the old guy up; "can you get his box?"

"No!" Billy Bones' eyes widened and he clutched the chest nearer to him. "No, no! Too dangerous!"

Tara glanced over at Jim and shrugged.

"Maybe you should run ahead and tell Mum," Jim suggested, propping Billy Bones up, staggering to his feet.

Tara only nodded: "Yeah, sure."


	3. Chapter 3

"I hate you," Tara said, once she and Jim and Sarah were all safely ensconced in Doppler's home. She sat with a mug of chocolate in her hands, looking out of the window, the image of Benbow Inn burning fiery-red in her mind.

"You talking to me?" Jim dropped into the seat next to her.

"Yeah."

"The fire wasn't exactly my fault."

"No. But I still hate you."

"Think you just broke my heart there."

"I'm sure it'll heal."

Jim grinned at her, and Tara could feel herself slowly smiling back.

"Maybe."

* * *

><p>Jim was still tinkering with the golden sphere in his hands, and as she watched him spell out his plan to Sarah and to Doppler, she felt her heart sink, just a bit.<p>

It was wrong, she knew. Treasure Planet was one of Jim's dreams – the only dream, the only thing he'd ever actually really believed in, since he was little. He'd told her that himself. And now he was about to be on his way to actually _finding _it.

That was great and all, but what about her?

She felt terrible. Selfish.

But travelling was Jim's thing. Exploring, going wild, being reckless and crazy and adventurous – that was Jim, but it wasn't her. She'd always known that, but she'd never cared, because he was her best friend and she was his. And he'd always, _always _had to help out at the Benbow Inn.

But now he was leaving.

And she didn't know what she was going to do.

* * *

><p>"Come with me."<p>

Tara looked at Jim like he was crazy. "You mad? There is _no way_ I would _ever _willingly go on a trip more than halfway across the galaxy for stinking treasure."

"When are you gonna get a chance like this again?" Jim demanded. "C'mon. Look at Doppler. He's excited. He's like a little kid at Christmas. It's _Treasure Planet_!"

"Yeah, well, unlike Doppler, or you, I am not a scientific genius," said Tara, and she had to bite her lip, to force down the little voice in her head screaming that she should go. "And I have no interest in fame, or treasure, or _anything_."

"Come with me," Jim repeated, but now with a pleading note in his voice. He caught Tara's coppery hands in his own, and when she raised her eyes to meet his, he said: "Come with me. Please."

Tara moved away from his as if scalded, sinking further back into her armchair and looking away.

"I can't," she said. "I _won't_. And besides, someone needs to look after your mum. She'll be sick with worry, you running off across the galaxy like that."

"She's got friends."

"Yeah, but she's got me, too." Tara was still refusing to look at Jim. "And I've still got Da. Don't, man. Just – just don't. I'm _not_ going."

Jim didn't know what to say. He had been wishing – hoping – that Tara would agree to come with him. That she would be by his side as they sailed across the whole damn galaxy, that she would be there with him when they found Flint's trove.

Because she was Tara. She'd never given up on him, not even when Sarah and Doppler had, and just about everyone else at school. She would tell him to grow up, or laugh at him, or try to guilt-trip him – but she'd _never _given up on him. Even in his low moods, whenever she was in town, she'd just sit nearby, flipping through one of those history books she loved to read, or tinkering with something or other that he'd made for her. Even when he got into trouble, time and time and _time again_, she would tell him not to be such an idiot and make life hard for others – but she was always, _always_ there for him, whenever she could.

"I'll bring you a piece of the galaxy back," he said, finally, fighting to keep the emotions from his face.

Tara chuckled. "Good luck with that."

"And tell Damien to get lost."

"Been trying. Not the most successful method."

"Yeah, well, tell him he can go find his own girl."

Tara sent him a bemused look, finally bringing herself to look at him. "Yeah, Hawkins? You saying I'm your girl?"

Jim froze.

"Wouldn't hurt to let him think so," he finally managed to say.

Tara. _His _girl?

No. No, no, no. That was just strange and _wrong_. Tara was his best friend. His only friend, really. But she'd been his best friend for the past two years –

"Doesn't sound so bad," said Tara, grinning up at him. "Being your girl. 'Course, I expect you to treat me right. I want diamonds, sapphires, emeralds – the whole shebang."

Jim grinned, relaxed, and rolled his eyes. "Of course you do." But his face darkened slightly. "But seriously. Tell Damien to screw off."

"Don't worry," said Tara. "I'll find some way to make sure he stays away."

* * *

><p>"Oh, Jim! This is our ship! The RLS Legacy!"<p>

Jim looked up at the ship before him – massive, and beautiful, and his eyes couldn't help but widen in disbelief. For the next couple of months, this ship would be his home, on his way to finding Treasure Planet. It was hard to imagine that anything could get better than _this_, even if he did have Doppler with him.

And then an image flashed into his head – Tara, green-eyed and copper-skinned and white-haired, telling him to have some faith in himself and to stop screwing around all the time.

His face darkened, for a moment.

* * *

><p>"You've got a girl waiting for you back home, don'tcha?"<p>

"Don't know what you're talking about."

Jim leaned over the side of the ship, placing the mop and bucket aside, Silver chuckling next to him.

"I can see the look on your face, Jimbo," said Silver. "Clear as day, it is. You're missing her, aren't ya?"

Jim shrugged, and thought of Tara. Her smile was still there, clear as day; the way she punched him in the shoulder and scowled, or yelled at him through one of their arguments-that-weren't-really-arguments. "Yeah. Maybe. She's just a friend."

"Oh no, no, no, laddie. You don't get that look on your face when you're _just friends_." Silver said it like it was some kind of joke, a wide grin on his face. "In love with her, aren't ya?"

"What? _No_!"

In love with Tara?

_No_, he told himself. _Impossible_. But there she was, in his mind, smiling, scowling, laughing, telling him some stupid story or just listening as he ranted about how bloody _unfair_ the world was, telling him straight to his face when he was being an idiot or stubborn ass.

"Yeah, yeah, suit yourself, laddie." Silver was still grinning. "That look on your face tells me a whole different story."

"Whatever, man."

Silver chuckled again.

"Don't do this to me, lad," he said. "It's only your first day and you're missing her already? She must be something special."

Jim chose to ignore him.

"C'mon! What's she like?"

"Told you," he said. "She's my _friend_. Nothing more."

"Then it wouldn't hurt to tell me what she's like, would it, laddie?"

Jim paused – and then, grudgingly, he grinned at Silver. "Guess it wouldn't," he said.

Silver waited expectantly.

"For starters," Jim said, "the first thing you notice about her is her eyes. They're like - they're like emeralds, they are. And then you realise that she's got a serious attitude problem. Stubborn like crazy and won't back down…"


End file.
